1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grip for use with a camera and, in particular, to a camera grip which can be used as an under grip as well as a carrying handle for a camera-integral-VTR(video tape recorder) and also can be stored within the VTR when not in use.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a camera-integral-VTR is designed compact and, therefore, the camera-integral-VTR does not include therein a separate carrying handle which is exclusively used to carry the camera-integral-VTR. Also, although it is possible to mount an under grip to the camera-integral-VTR by use of a tripod screw in the bottom portion of the camera, the thus mounted under grip is projected out from the main body of the camera, which is inconvenient for carrying and also gives rise to a problem in storing the same into a camera case. In view of this, it is desirable that an under grip to be applied to the camera-integral-VTR can be stored compactly and has a function to serve as a carrying handle as well.
Also, it is desirable that the under grip, while being mounted to the camera-integral-VTR, can stand stably by itself and can also be used as a simple tripod.
Now, in FIG. 17, there is shown a video camera which includes therein a camera grip according to the prior art, and in FIGS. 18 to 20, there is shown the above camera grip.
As shown in FIG. 17, a video camera 101 includes a lens 102 in the front portion thereof, a view finder 103 and a battery pack 104 in the rear portion thereof, and an insertion portion 105 for insertion of a video tape in the central portion thereof. And, in the lower surface of the video camera 101, there are formed a positioning hole and a screw hole (neither of them are shown) which are used to fix a grip 111 to be described later.
As shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, the grip 111 comprises a base part 112 to be fixed to the video camera 101 and a grip main body 113 to be mounted to the base part 112, and the grip 111 further stores therein a leg portion 114 which is used as a tripod.
The grip base part 112 is formed in a box shape having an opening in the top portion thereof. To the top opening of the grip base part 112 is fixed a base plate 115 by a plurality of fixing screws 116. A sheet 117 formed of vinyl chloride is fixedly secured to the top surface of the base plate 115 by means of a both-side tape. A mount screw 118 is supported rotatably in the top portion of the grip base part 112. The top end of the mount screw 118 is projected out upwardly, while a disc-like operation knob 119 is formed integrally with the bottom portion of the mount screw 118. Also, a positioning projection 120 is formed integrally with the top surface of the base plate 115.
The grip main body 113 is supported rotatably to the grip base part 112 by a support shaft 121 and at the same time can be held at a desired angle by means of an angle lock mechanism. In other words, while a continuously undulated portion 122 is formed integrally with the grip main body 113, in the grip base part 112 there is provided an engagement piece 124 which can be energized by a spring 123 to press against the undulated portion 122. This engagement piece 124 can be operated by a lock lever 126 via a rotary lever 125.
Also, in the grip base part 112 there is provided a recording switch button 127 which is used to set the video camera 101 to its recording mode. The recording switch button 127 is supported rotatably by a support shaft 128 to the grip base part 112, and is also energized in a clockwise direction in FIG. 19 by a spring 129. Further, the recording switch button 127 is connected to the video camera 101 by means of a connecting cord or a remotely controlled transmitter.
Accordingly, to mount the grip 111 to the video camera 101, the positioning projection 120 of the grip 111 is fitted into the positioning hole in the video camera 101, and the mount screw 118 is inserted into the screw hole in the video camera 101. After then, if the operation knob 119 is rotated, then the grip 111 and video camera 101 are threadedly engaged with each other so that the grip 111 is fixed to the video camera 101.
When the video camera 101 is to be operated in the recording mode, an operator may grip the grip 111 and press in the recording switch button 127 with a finger to switch the video camera 101 to the recording mode. If the operator releases the finger, then the recording mode of the video camera 101 can be cancelled and thus the recording can be stopped.
However, the above-mentioned grip 111 cannot be stored compactly or thinly in the camera bottom portion and it cannot be used as a carrying handle.
Also, conventionally, there have been proposed and put into practical use various kinds of other grips such as a grip which can be stored compactly or thinly, a grip usable as a simple tripod, a grip usable as a simple tripod and a carrying handle and the like (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-2398, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 50-16490, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (Tokkai) No. 56-127895).
However, conventionally, there has never been known such grip of this type which can be stored compactly in the bottom portion of a camera when not in use, is stable when it stands by itself, can be used as a carrying handle, and can be handled properly.
On the other hand, the position for fixing the grip 111 with respect to the video camera 101 is decided in consideration of the holding stability of the grip 111. That is, the screw hole of the video camera 101 is formed so as to be situated at the center of gravity of the video camera 101.
However, in some of the video cameras 101 of this kind, the position of the screw hole may be altered according to the design requirements, the internal mechanisms and the like. In this case, the above-mentioned conventional grip 111 cannot be fixed at a predetermined position in such video camera 101, which provides a problem to be solved. In other words, if the grip 111 cannot be fixed at the predetermined position in the video camera 101, then the operator finds it troublesome to hold the video camera 101 and thus the operationability of the video camera 101 is worsened.
In order to avoid the above problem, conventionally, there has been developed an idea that the mount screw 118 (and the operationable knob 119) is adapted to be movable back and forth or right and left. However, due to the fact that the grip 111 includes therein the leg portion 114 to be used as a tripod, a battery charger, a remotely controlled transmitter and the like, it is very difficult to provide such movable mount screw 118 in the grip 111. Even if such movable mount screw 118 can be provided, the grip 111 must be increased in size, which provides another problem.
Also, new grips can be applied to the respective video cameras having different mount hole forming positions, but this inevitably increases the manufacturing costs of the grips and the grips are expensive accordingly.